


The Theatre

by E350tb



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Bigotry & Prejudice, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-20
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2019-05-25 23:50:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14988209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/E350tb/pseuds/E350tb
Summary: Steven and Connie have an incident at the movie theatre.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the Cluster's writing challenge going on at the moment. The prompt was as follows; 'Steven/Connie; they're at the movie theater, but Steven's nervous, and his gem keeps lighting up, bothering the other patrons.'
> 
> The catch? It's a corrupt-a-prompt challenge. So I had to write an angsty story for it...
> 
> (Also, this is technically a sequel to 'The Teacher', so I'd recommend reading that.)

** The Theatre **

Steven sat outside the theatre manager’s office and wished he was invisible. Connie squeezed his hand - normally, this would calm him down, but today it was doing nothing.

The manager was being shouted at by a small group of irate moviegoers. They were led by a older, balding gentleman with an inflated opinion of himself, who was angrily spluttering complaints at the overworked young adult.

“That little  _ cretin _ ruined my viewing experience!” he thundered.

“Sir, I'm willing to listen to your complaint,” the manager said wearily, “I just need you to calm down.”

The man took a deep breath before irritably explaining.

“He was sitting in the damn theatre flashing some kind of light!” he fumed, “And when I asked  _ nicely  _ for him to stop, he and his idiot friend abused me!”

“Is this true?” the manager asked, turning to Steven and Connie.

“He couldn't help it!” replied Connie, “He was anxious, and…”

“ _ Anxious _ ,” a woman with two small boys sniffed, “That's what they call it now?”

“I only yelled at him,” continued Connie, pointedly ignoring the woman, “Because he started insulting Steven!”

The old man crossed his arms.

“I wouldn't have done so if he hadn't been a distraction,” sniffed the man, “But then  _ you  _ would know all about that,  _ Maheswaran _ …”

“Oh!” said another middle-aged man, eyebrows raised, “Is this the one who got you fired, Daniel? Doesn't look like much…”

“She  _ isn't _ , I assure you.”

Connie’s face turned red. She opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by the manager.

“Okay,” he said, “So this kid was… flashing? What, with an LED or something?”

“Uh, no, sir,” said Steven, his face turning red, “It was this.”

He pulled up his shirt, revealing his gem. As if on cue, it flashed dimly.

“ _ Eugh! _ ” exclaimed the woman, wincing, “What the hell is  _ that?! _ ”

“I-It’s my gem,” replied Steven nervously.

“Piercings are getting out of control these days,” Daniel’s friend muttered darkly.

“Ah,” snorted Daniel, “So he’s one of your freak  _ gem _ friends, is he Maheswaran?”

“Do you know these two?” asked the manager.

“The little runt got me fired,” snarled Daniel.

“You deserved it!” shouted Connie, “You can’t treat kids like that when you’re a teacher, Vought!”

“I don’t like your tone!” growled Daniel.

“So what? I’m not afraid of you anymore, you…”

“ _ Connie _ .”

Steven put a hand on her shoulder. He looked like he was about to cry.

“Please don’t make him angrier.”

Connie swallowed and nodded.

The manager took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Okay,” he said, trying and failing to sound like he wasn’t irritated, “Why was it flashing?”

Steven turned red. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

“ _ Well? _ ” demanded Daniel.

“Cat got your tongue?” sniffed the woman. Her kids giggled.

“I… I was just… I…”

“Out with it, boy, we don’t have all day!” the other man snapped.

“I… I was nervous.”

Daniel leant down in front of him, thrusting his face so close to the boy that their noses almost touched. Steven swallowed hard, forcing back tears as the older man snarled in his face.

“ _ Nervous _ , were we?” he demanded, “Oh, how  _ precious _ . Nervous about  _ what? _ ”

“He doesn’t have to tell you!” shouted Connie.

“Quiet, dullard, the grown ups are talking,” growled Daniel.

“Please answer him,” sighed the manager.

“I… it’s our first date.”

There was a long silence. Connie turned red and started rubbing her arm.

Daniel stood back up, crossing his arms.

“Well, that would make sense,” he sneered, “Birds of a feather flock together - especially when they’re  _ idiots _ .”

“Try  _ freaks _ ,” added his friend, “I mean, look at that weird rock! Hideous stuff, really. And I’ve heard those other gems cause a lot of property damage down in Beach City. Deliquents, all of them…”

Steven’s face turned even redder, and he buried his face beneath his hands.

“Oh, don’t be so harsh!” declared the woman, “Look at the boy’s behaviour! He can’t  _ help _ it, everyone, he’s obviously just a ret-”

Connie turned to her, fists clenched.

“ _ You finish that sentence and I swear I’ll... _ ” snarled Connie.

“People, people, please.” The manager held up his hands. “I honestly don’t give a crap. What makes this problem go away?”

“I want a refund!” snapped Daniel.

“And free tickets to the next showing,” added the woman, “Preferably  _ without _ these two.”

“And you can expect this to end up in my column!” Daniel’s friend added.

The manager nodded.

“Fine,” he said, “Go up to the front kiosk, I’ll be with you shortly. You’ll get your money back.”

“And tickets!”

“And tickets.”

Satisfied, the customers walked away, leaving Steven and Connie alone. The manager crossed his arms, his tired face set into a frown.

“Well, now I have to explain that to corporate,” he said testily, “So thanks for that. Dumbass kids.”

“It wasn’t our fault!” protested Connie.

“I’m not paid enough to care,” replied the manager, “Look, just get out, you’re banned.”

“You…  _ you’re banning us! _ ” exclaimed Connie, “Why?”

“Because I don’t want to have to deal with Freak McGemstomach causing more problems,” sighed the manager, “I know people from Beach City, I know what he gets up to, and I don’t wanna deal with it.”

“But…”

“Connie,” Steven sighed, “Let… let’s just go.”

Connie glanced from Steven to the manager and back again. She was so tempted, so  _ sorely tempted _ , to clock the weary manager in the face - but she couldn’t upset Steven. So, miserably, she swallowed her anger and walked out the door.

As they passed through the foyer, she briefly locked eyes with Daniel Vought. He was sneering in self-satisfaction. He mouthed a final, pithy statement to his former student.

_ I win. _

Connie walked out onto the street, feeling sick to her stomach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, Vought's an asshole.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This scene didn't quite fit the concept of the challenge (being, make it angst), so I've added it as a bonus chapter!

** Epilogue **

Connie sat across from Steven at a booth in the ice cream parlour across from the movie theatre. Steven was sadly and slowly eating his bowl of rocky road, while Connie was envisioning elaborate revenge plots in her head. It had been a horrible day, and now they just wanted to go home.

“Hey, can I sit here?”

Connie looked up. It was Jane, the woman at the kiosk of the theatre. What was she doing here? Nevertheless, she made room for her.

“So, I just quit my job,” she said.

“What?” asked Steven, “Why?”

“Because of the way they treated you!” replied Jane, “Vought and those other guys were bragging about what they did in the foyer, and I just… I’m not gonna stand for that! So I quit.”

“Oh no,” said Steven miserably, “I lost you your job.”

“No, it’s fine! Honestly, that place sucked!” reassured Jane, “This could be a whole new opportunity for me! And you know what else?”

She smiled slightly conspiratorially.

“A whole bunch of other people heard them too,” she said, “And I think those guys are gonna be sitting in some  _ very  _ empty cinemas for a while…”

“I’m still gonna sic Pearl on them,” said Connie darkly.

Jane put a hand on Steven’s shoulder.

“I don’t know you very well,” she admitted, “But I care about you, Steven. A whole lot of people do! Just… don’t get too discouraged, okay?”

Steven looked up from his ice cream, his eyes wet and his cheeks moist. But for a moment - for the first time in hours - he offered her a smile.


End file.
